Lighting concept.

[Clive Mitchell]

I suppose this is a sort of public disclosure of prior art thing...

26th October 2004

What do you guys think of this idea?

A solid state wash luminaire with a beam that can be positioned, changed
in angle and colour with no moving parts. It would consist of a sphere
or part thereof that was covered in small high intensity directional
light sources which could be LEDs or another technology. The projected
light intensity, colour and pattern could be controlled by selectively
lighting up sections of the light sources on the surface of the unit.

The output beam shape and width would be controlled by illuminating the
light sources in patterns. For instance, a small circle of emitters lit
on the surface would project a narrow circular patch of light. A wider
circle would give the effect of a wider beam angle, while a strip of
illuminated emitters would give a cyclorama style wash.

Colour would be controlled if desired by using clusters of red, green
and blue light sources.

Changing the position of the projected beam would be achieved by
changing the area of illuminated emitters on the surface of the unit.

In most instances a typical limited angle stage light could be
implemented by a quarter sphere of emitters or less. A typical club
version would have anything from half a sphere up to nearly a full
sphere (allowing for cables and anchorage).

A light like this could be achieved using current technology high output
LEDs for low lighting level environments, but the idea will be much more
versatile as miniature light emitters like LEDs evolve. Video wall
technology would lend itself well to the control of the light sources.

Just thought I'd mention this concept to keep it in the public domain
and prevent it being patented. (Assuming no one else has patented the
concept in this form already)

Spherical video walls have been built before (EPCOT comes to mind) but
I'm not aware of any device that performs the function described above.


If it's original then print out a copy of this post for future reference
and prior art use. (Guess which company inspired this behaviour!)

 

[Adam Aglionby]

I suppose this is a sort of public disclosure of prior art thing...

26th October 2004

What do you guys think of this idea?

A solid state wash luminaire with a beam that can be positioned, changed
in angle and colour with no moving parts. It would consist of a sphere

Or anyt other three dimensional shape, pyramid , taetrahedron, trachoid etc.

or part thereof that was covered in small high intensity directional
light sources which could be LEDs or another technology. The projected
light intensity, colour and pattern could be controlled by selectively
lighting up sections of the light sources on the surface of the unit.

The output beam shape and width would be controlled by illuminating the
light sources in patterns. For instance, a small circle of emitters lit
on the surface would project a narrow circular patch of light. A wider
circle would give the effect of a wider beam angle, while a strip of
illuminated emitters would give a cyclorama style wash.

Colour would be controlled if desired by using clusters of red, green
and blue light sources.

Two or more colours is the way CK put, hedge your bets, more claims is
more...

Changing the position of the projected beam would be achieved by
changing the area of illuminated emitters on the surface of the unit.

In most instances a typical limited angle stage light could be
implemented by a quarter sphere of emitters or less. A typical club
version would have anything from half a sphere up to nearly a full
sphere (allowing for cables and anchorage).

A light like this could be achieved using current technology high output
LEDs for low lighting level environments, but the idea will be much more
versatile as miniature light emitters like LEDs evolve. Video wall
technology would lend itself well to the control of the light sources.

Just thought I'd mention this concept to keep it in the public domain
and prevent it being patented. (Assuming no one else has patented the
concept in this form already)

Spherical video walls have been built before (EPCOT comes to mind) but
I'm not aware of any device that performs the function described above.


If it's original then print out a copy of this post for future reference
and prior art use. (Guess which company inspired this behaviour!)

Thats a tricky one....

Adam

 

[Clive Mitchell]

Or anyt other three dimensional shape, pyramid , taetrahedron, trachoid
etc.

Nope, specifically a sphere to allow the beam to pan smoothly in any
direction. Other shapes would just be disco specific effects.

 

[Clive Mitchell]

Bit like this http://sub-zero.mit.edu/fbyte/projects/corona/

Look to see who is day job is with....

Darn! I guess that CK do have the prior art this time unless someone
else beat them to that prototype.

I visited that guys site a long time ago before that appeared. He
certainly seems inventive and has access to quite scary amounts of
expensive components.

The interlocking PCB's are a very neat concept.

 

[Clive Mitchell]

Use of LEDs would make a pricey fitting with poor colour rendition and
poor efficiency.

Running only some of the LEDs will mean even more LEDs needed, even
more cost. The basic idea of new tech is to reduce cost to increase
profit and sales, not the other way round.

Nah, the LED industry cashes in on the novelty and "reliability" issues
associated with LEDs. The current products are most certainly not
cheap, but I'm sure they're profitable.

If you want to change beam patterns, torches with movable lenses have
been around a long time. sliding the bulb position in a non-diffused
reflector fitting achieves this too. What you describe appears to offer
no advantage plus high cost.

Motors, motors, motors. And as anyone who works in the entertainment
industry will tell you, a light with absolutely no moving parts would be
very useful indeed.